Hike N&#39; light

ABSTRACT

A miniature outdoor cooking unit for burning alcohol fuels consisting of a two piece Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly, pot stand clips which act to support the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly as well as support the item(s) to be heated, and a burner Pre-Heat Pad on which the entire assembly rests. The intended design and operation of this stove results in self-pressurization of the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly. This self-pressurization perpetuates stove operation through continuous fuel vaporization in the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly and eliminates the need for any wick or fuel absorbing mass, thus differentiating it from any known designs.

CROSS REFERENCE

[0001] United States Patent and Trademark office Provisional Application. Date filed Apr. 17, 2000 Application No. 60/197,950 Applicant: John William McGuire.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Small portable alcohol cooking stoves are commonly used for cooking or heating of food items outdoors, e.g. on a camping trip or wilderness environment. There are many types and styles of these such ‘backpacking’ stoves, however this invention is in the area of the stoves which use only alcohol as a fuel source.

[0003] The present invention is designed to be used with any type of alcohol fuel as the heat source. This unit comprises of the Stove Bottom, which holds the fuel, the Stove Top, which distributes the vapors thru the hole punched thru the Stove Top in the manner described in the following drawings. Also, this invention includes 3 Pot Stand Clips, which hold the Stove Bottom and Stove Top in place and also provide a load-bearing surface to place the items that are to be heated.

[0004] In units know in the art have different design and material in their construction. They also had a very slow ‘boil time’ when heating up water, This invention greatly reduces this time from lighting the stove during ‘Pre-Heat’ to the time which water will come to a full boil. This is due to Hike N′ Light stove is designed as a simple, light weight, self-pressurizing, alcohol fuels burning stove capable of maintaining suitable flame intensity throughout operation for small-scale cooking/heating operations.

SUMMARY OF THE ENTION

[0005] The subject invention is designed as a simple, lightweight, self-pressurizing, alcohol fuels burning stove capable of maintaining suitable flame intensity throughout operation for small-scale cooking/heating operations when used individually, or for larger scale cooking operations when multiple units are utilized.

[0006] The alcohol fuels stove of the present invention comprises a Stove Bottom having a base and side walls for storage of alcohol fuels, a main Stove Top press-fit to the Stove Bottom and manufactured with holes spaced evenly across the Stove Top surface in an annular pattern through which fuel vapor escapes, a pre-heat pad, and pot stand clips which lock the press-fit Stove Top to the Stove Bottom and also support the item(s) to be heated.

[0007] In operation, the Stove Bottom is filled with suitable fuel and the Stove Top is press-fit onto the upper portion of the Stove Bottom. The three pot stand clips are attached to the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly and lock the Stove Bottom and Stove Top together. The entire assembly is then placed on the pre-heat pad and fuel is added around the assembly up to the lip of the pre heat pad. The fuel on the pre-heat pad surrounding the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly is ignited, providing energy input in the form of heat to the fuel contained in the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly. This energy input causes the fuel to vaporize and create a slight positive pressure inside the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly. The vaporized fuel escapes the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly through the holes in the Stove Top surface, creating jets of vaporized fuel emitted from the Stove Top surface. The velocities of these jets are determined by the vapor pressure generated in the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly. The flames emitted from the pre-heat pad ignite these vapor jets, and thus the main burner is now ignited. Heat energy from the ignition of the main burner increases the rate of fuel vaporization inside the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly and serves to maintain continuous operation of the burner until such time as the fuel source or oxygen source is removed or exhausted.

[0008] The miniature stove of the present invention is unique in the portability of its design, ease of operation, and energy transfer during operation. The simplicity of design (6 components) and lightweight materials of construction allow this stove to be easily assembled by the operator and make the entire stove extremely portable. The self-pressurizing feature of this stove allows this stove to function without intervention throughout the duration of operation. The materials of construction are light weight with high thermal conductivities; this coupled with the direct flame impingement on the item(s) to be heated allow for decreased stove start-up times and increased rates of heat transfer to the target item(s).

THE DRAWINGS

[0009]FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the subject invention (entire assembly).

[0010]FIG. 2 is a side view of the subject invention (entire assembly).

[0011]FIG. 3 is a side view of the pot stand clip design (part of subject invention).

[0012]FIG. 4 is a side view of the Stove Top (part of subject invention).

[0013]FIG. 5 is a side view of the Stove Bottom (part of subject invention).

[0014]FIG. 6 is a plan view of the subject invention (entire assembly).

[0015]FIG. 7 is a side view of the pre-heat pad (part of subject invention).

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016]FIG. 1 depicts a perspective view of the fully assembled miniature stove according to the present invention. The stove is comprised of a Stove Bottom consisting of a circular base and circumferential wall extending upwards along the outside diameter of the base to a lip of slightly greater diameter allowing for the press fit of the main Stove Top.

[0017] The Stove Top consisting of a circular surface of slightly greater diameter than the Stove Bottom base and circumferential wall extending downwards along the outside diameter of the circular surface. The surface is punched with a single {fraction (1/16)}^(th) inch hole at the center of the Stove Top and {fraction (1/16)} inch holes at an equal radius along the outside diameter of the Stove Top.

[0018] The main Stove Top is press fit onto the Stove Bottom and locked in place with the Pot Stand Clips at three equally spaced locations around the assembly. The bottom portion of the Pot Stand Clip design incorporates a simple spring that locks the main Stove Top to the Stove Bottom during operation and lifts the Stove Bottom slightly above the surface of the pre-heat pad to allow for optimal heating of the fuels storage cup. The upper portion of this design in conjunction with the other two clips forms a load bearing surface on which item(s) to be heated may be placed.

[0019] The Pre-Heat Pad is placed beneath the stove assembly and consists of a circular base of greater diameter than the Stove Bottom and circumferential wall extending upwards along the outside diameter of the base.

[0020]FIG. 2 depicts a side view of the fully assembled subject invention, highlighting the optimal elevation of the Stove Bottom above the Pre-Heat Pad base using the bottom portion of the Pot Stand Clips to allow for greatest efficiency of heat transfer from the flame front in the Pre-Heat Pad to the bottom surface of the Stove Bottom. In addition, this figure illustrates the load-bearing surface created by the upper portion of the Pot Stand Clips upon which item(s) to be heated are to be placed.

[0021]FIG. 3 depicts a side view of the Pot Stand Clip detailing the simple U-Spring design of the bottom portion of the clip along with the load bearing design of the upper portion of the clip.

[0022]FIG. 4 depicts a side view of the Stove Top.

[0023]FIG. 5 depicts a side view of the Stove Bottom illustrating the press fit lip at the top of the circumferential sidewall of slightly larger diameter than the base of the Stove Bottom.

[0024]FIG. 6 depicts a plan view of the fully assembled subject invention, detailing the layout of the holes through the top of the Stove Top surface, as well as the positioning of the Pot Stand Clips.

[0025]FIG. 7 depicts a side view of the Pre-Heat Pad. 

I claim as my invention:
 1. A Cooking Unit Comprising: A Pre-Heat Pan as described in Section 5, Description of the Drawings. A Stove Bottom as described in Section 5, Description of the Drawings. A Stove Top as described in Section 5, Description of the Drawings. A Stove Bottom/Stove Top as described in Section 5, Description of the Drawings locked together by Pot Stand Clips as described in Section 5, Description of the Drawings.
 2. The Cooking Unit of claim 1 , wherein the design does not require any fuel absorbing mass or wick for initial ignition or long term operation:
 3. The Cooking Unit of claim 1 , wherein the intended design and operation results in self-pressurization of the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly thus perpetuating the operation of the Cooking Unit through direct continuous heat input to the Stove Bottom/Stove Top assembly, causing fuel vaporization and pressurization of the assembly:
 4. The Cooking Unit of claim 1 , wherein the intended design incorporates a flame front surface area consisting of 9 individual jets of vaporized fuel that is greater than any currently known competitors of its relative size:
 5. The Cooking Unit of claim 1 , wherein the intended design and operation results in “Boil Times” for one quart of water better than 10 minutes faster than the currently fastest known competitor:
 6. The Cooking Unit of claim 1 , wherein the intended design results in a compact footprint (4¾″ diameter) and an empty weight of 4 ounces, thus allowing it to be easily portable. 